How do you compose music for a road movie? If you are AR Rahman, you pepper it with tunes that reflect the flavour of different regions that the movie travels through. So you have the folk strains from Himachal, Punjab, Kashmir and Rajasthan scrambling for your attention. Rahman has also infused a healthy dose of blues and jazz as also rap elements in the album. So it kind of appeals to both young and old souls. Lyricist Irshad Kamil’s imagery coupled with Rahman’s subtle touch takes you on an impressionistic voyage where words and sounds mingle to create a world which shifts and turns with a rhythm of its own. A rhythm that leaves behind myriad emotions in its wake.

The first song of the album, Patakha guddi, sung by Nooran sisters Sultana and Jyoti of the Sound Trippin fame grapples you with fierce intensity and refuses to let go. The sisters are just right for this folk/sufi rendition. The earthy orchestration keeps pace with the fast paced vocals. It kind of symbolises the inner journey of the protagonist. There is a male version of the song too, sung by Rahman himself. The maestro has taken pains to get the Punjabi pronunciation right. The variations he creates makes it a joyride the second time around too. He’s also sung the blues inspired Mahi ve. The song has a certain therav, a certain gravitas and yet doesn’t look out of place in an album meant for a road movie. The string section perfectly melds with the vocals to surround you with longing and regret of love.

Canadian singer Jonita Gandhi makes her mark with a soulful rendition of Kahaan hoon main. It reflects the inner journey of a young girl slowly blossoming into womanhood and just grows on you after a while. Jonita also features in Implosive silence, an instrumental piece. Rahman points out that silence too is filled with a music of its own and can convey various things too if you care to listen.

Kash and Krissy have written the lyrics of the rap inspired Wanna mash up. Sung by Kash and Krissy themselves along with Suvi Suresh, this fast tempoed song will delight DJs in discos around the world. The dubstep infused sound makes you want to hit the dance floor. It’s Rahman’s way of letting his hair down and stopping the album from sounding super heavy.

Alia Bhatt makes her singing debut with Sooha saaha. The words mean red rabbit. This is basically a lullaby and will make you long for your mother. Pakistani singer Zeb (of the Coke Studio fame) starts off the song in her earthy vocals. She sings the mother’s part and then Alia’s coltish voice then takes over. She sings like a daughter humming a half remembered lullaby and the hesitancy, the fragility is just right for the song. This young Bhatt is proving to be the student of the year alright!

Sunidhi Chauhan sounds divine in the Kashmiri folk inspired Tu kuja. Rahman makes her voice caress the poignant lyrics with a lover’s touch. You can’t help but hit the repeat button again and you wish these two talented souls should work together more often.

Shweta Pandit, another Rahman protégé, makes her presence felt in Heera, which is basically a rendition of saint Kabir’s couplets. Rahman opts for minimal orchestration to make the truth of the verses hit home.

All-in-all, Highway is another top notch album from Rahman. He’s played around with sound, letting it take its own journey. A memorable OST that does ample justice to the film’s theme has emerged in the process. We can’t wait for the movie’s release to witness the impact of the songs on screen.